


New Days

by Moopumpkin13



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Blood and Violence, Bounty Hunter Sua, Corporate Siyeon, Cyberpunk World, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29364822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moopumpkin13/pseuds/Moopumpkin13
Summary: Bounty-hunter Sua has been after corporate Lee Siyeon's head for a year. However, when she is finally about to carry out her mission, her employer betrays her, forcing her to collaborate with her target to escape. SuA thought this was the end of it until Siyeon shows up again with an unexpected proposition. What if this new mission was the key for the two to finally understand each-other?
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon
Comments: 12
Kudos: 37
Collections: DreamCatcher Enemies To Lovers Ficfest 2k21





	1. Falling from the top

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is my participation to the Ennemies to lovers fic fest, and also my very first fic posted on this site, I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Disclaimer: English is not my first language. 
> 
> The Cyberpunk world is mostly inspired by the role playing game Cyberpunk 2020 and by extension Cyberpunk 2077, which is why I sometimes use the classes denominations. Here are the main ones I use: 
> 
> Solos: mercenaries and bounty-hunters  
> fixers: Black market dealers. They usually sell intel and have a vast network of connections  
> med-techs: doctors who also specialise in cybernetics
> 
> If you have any questions or things you'd like to say, I'll be happy to read your comments :)
> 
> find me on twitter or on curiouscat @ sleepysomnia

The sound of gunshots invaded the small office, she could even hear some of the bullets whistling above her head. When the first burst of gunfire ended, she raised her head above the desk and aimed at the hit men, forcing them to take cover. She quickly sat back and watched over the other woman hiding with her. She didn’t seem panicked at all, instead she was calmly assessing the situation. 

“Looks like your employer betrayed you.”

“Thanks, I noticed that.”

Bora stared angrily at the tall woman taking cover with her behind the desk where she was sitting just five minutes ago before a group of armed men entered the room. Lee Siyeon, CEO of Insomnia Corp., one of the most influential and dangerous people in the City. Her short blue hair was a good representation of her flamboyant and fearless behaviour. At only 25 years old she had climbed her way through the corporation ladder, eliminating her opponents in whatever way she felt necessary and was now looking at everyone from the top. Needless to say that a lot of people were after her head. One of those people was Kim Bora.

Better known as SuA, she was one of the best bounty hunters in town. Also called the Corporates’ Bane, she had tried to come for Siyeon’s head multiple times, but each time the Wolf of the Financial District managed to stay one step ahead and Bora was forced to retreat. But this time was different. This time she was right in front of her, pointing her gun at her, ready to pull the trigger when she was interrupted by those buffoons. For some reason, the Wang family had decided to kill her along with her target. She clenched her teeth at the thought of that missed opportunity that forced her to sit there next to her worst enemy. Siyeon must have seen the irritation on the other woman’s features because she decided to intervene.

“I can help you escape, you know.”

“Really?”

“But under one condition” Bora sighed but signalled her to go on. “Promise me to stop hunting me after that.”

The bounty hunter rolled her eyes. That woman really never missed an opportunity to reduce the number of her enemies. But SuA didn’t have a choice, she was out-numbered and her only ally could stab her in the back at any moment. Siyeon knew that too, because she was in the same situation, that was why she had proposed the deal in the first place. As much as she wanted to weigh her answer, there was no time to lose, she could hear the others moving, they were probably about to circle them, the two women had to escape now.

“Fine! Get us out of here.”

“All right, activate your night vision.”

The corporate’s irises shone bright indicating that she was logging in the security system through the Network. A few seconds later, the lights went down and small machine guns appeared from the ceiling and the walls. The hitmen had nowhere to hide, Siyeon had already marked them as targets in the system. The guns fired, the attackers fell, silence invaded the room once more.

“We need to go, there are more coming from the main elevator.”

Siyeon grabbed Bora’s arm and lead her to the back of the room, she placed her hand on the wall on the left and the plate moved to reveal the entry of a private elevator. The bounty hunter expected as much from the CEO, she was obviously prepared for this kind of situation. They were brought to a small room where all sorts of weapons were stocked, at the back there was a small changing booth; a bag containing clothes and different cyberwear was waiting inside.

“Take what you need. I’ll change quickly before leaving the building.”

The business woman entered the booth while Bora looked at the different guns and amo at her disposal. When she was done choosing the ones she was comfortable with, Siyeon emerged from the booth with new clothes on. She had traded her suit with a pair of grey jeans, a tight white top and a black leather jacket with a design of a howling wolf sewn at the front with neon fibre, her heels were replaced by a pair of black rangers and her hair was tied in a bun that was covered by a black cap, only a few blue streaks stuck out in front of her eyes. The attire wasn’t enough to hide her natural charisma, but anyone who would come across her wouldn’t think she was a corporate at all. Bora herself had difficulty hiding her amazement, she shook her head before her staring could become obvious.

“Ok, let’s get out.”

“Wait.”

Siyeon taped on the keyboard that was hidden under the fake skin of her left mechanic arm and a hologram was projected in front of her. Thanks to that they could see the images of the security system in the whole building and it was not a good sight. The Wang family really had decided to get rid of Insomnia Corp. Images from the outside showed that they were also waiting for the survivors: there was no escape route.

The CEO swiped on the hologram and displayed the command board of her car that was most certainly parked in the private parking lot of the building. It didn’t take long for SuA to understand what she was doing. She was planning to let her car ride outside in auto-pilot as a diversion while they would run away by another exit. Not even 5 seconds after the plan was put to work, they heard an explosion. After that there was no way the militia forces wouldn’t show up, this would force the henchmen to give up their position for now and also buy them time to run and hide.

SuA walked in front of Siyeon in the corridors that separated them from the exit and took care of the remaining goons who were still searching the building. Once outside SuA touched the cyber-wear on her temple and a motorbike came out of a dark alley.

“All right let’s move on. I know a place where we can hide.”

“No thanks, I go solo from here.”

The bounty hunter raised her brows, she expected the CEO to say that but at the same time it didn’t look like the smartest move.

“You know who the Wang family is, right? Their gang has control over the whole Chinese district but their influence doesn’t stop there. Even with your connections there’s no way you can hide from them, even less fight back.”

Siyeon had her back turned on Bora and was casually taking a submachine gun from her bag pack which she then hid in her inner-jacket. Her voice sounded calm and indifferent.

“I know that very well.” She turned around and looked at SuA with a cocky smile. “I’m just better on my own.”

The bounty hunter just sighed “Fine, do whatever you want.” She kicked the starter of the bike and left the CEO alone on the side walk while the sirens of the militia suppressed all other sound in the background.

*******

Siyeon had been prepared for this situation ever since she entered Insomnia Corp. as a modest office worker five years ago. To everyone she might have looked like the perfect representation of the successful corporate, powered by greed and ambition. Climb to the top, stay at the top, as they said. But she had always known that this was only meant to be temporary. People who lost everything were legion in the City, and she had never been as arrogant as to believe that she was any different. Give it up before they can take it from you themselves as always been her mind-set. That was why she was living on her own, all her connections were either useful or disposable. Everything she won, everything she earned, everything she built, she was ready to leave them behind, except for one thing.

Her cyber-deck beeped. She brought her forearm in front of her and typed on the key-board to see the news update: “Breaking News: Insomnia Corp. building raided by unknown terrorist group. Over a hundred casualties (still counting). CEO Lee Siyeon reported missing after the remains of her car where found in front of the building.” Siyeon snorted. If only they knew. The image switched to an announcement made on the black market. A bounty was placed on her head and SuA’s. Great, this was just great. The Wangs were moving faster than expected. Yet another message showed up, still from the black market: “Great auction held at the Wang Factory building. Biggest price: 16-year-old girl, no cyberwears, 100% natural, suited for all purposes.” Siyeon’s mind went empty from rage at the sight of this.

“Fuck them.”

Now she had no choice. She had to get her back.

*******

In the shadow of the sky-scrapers of the Financial District lurked a malevolent crowd. The rusty apartment buildings and poorly maintained streets of the Jungle were the survivors’ den. Everyone down there was part of a gang or a mafia for the pack is always stronger. Those who still chose to go solo were forces to be reckoned with: legendary hitmen or skilled assassins. SuA was one of them and even a bounty of 20 million credits wasn’t enough for the small fry to try anything. She drove into a small alley were no one was going and parked her bike in front of a garage door. She walked to the small device attached to the wall and identified herself.

“Yubin, it’s Bora. I got your message.”

The door opened to let her come in with the motorbike. The inside looked like a regular garage with all the equipment required, there was even a car being repaired. A door on the right opened and a young woman with short light purple hair greeted the bounty hunter.

“I don’t know what you got yourself into, but let me tell you it looks like quite the mess.”

Bora laughed heartily at the very relevant description of the situation.

“Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to turn Wang Zhang Wei’s offer to be his body-guard. Still, I wasn’t expecting him to turn on me right in the middle of a job I was doing for him.”

“You are one of the best solos of the City. He probably thought it was better to have you dead than being used against him. You should have seen this coming.”

The bounty hunter’s grin turned into a more embarrassed smile.

“Anyway! You said in your text someone wanted to meet me?”

“She’s waiting for you with a job offer.” She raised her hand above her shoulder and pointed at the door behind her with her thumb. “I don’t know who would be crazy enough to hire you in the current situation, but I’m a fixer, not a life coach.”

Bora walked towards the room, Yubin following close, both of them already into their “working personas”. They might be Yubin and Bora when they were with each other, but to everyone else they were Dami and SuA, the most efficient fixer of the Jungle and one of the most feared solos of the City. She pushed the door which revealed a small office with an old couch a little on the right after the entrance with several other seats around it. With one look inside, she recognised the person sitting in front of her harbouring her usual smirk.

“Hello again, SuA.”

“Hello again, miss Lee. How has it been?”

Even the proud Wolf couldn’t hide her shame, it had only been a day since they both saw each other and she was already there asking for her help. With a movement of the arm she offered SuA to sit on one of the small stools in front of her and didn’t make any comment until the other took her offer and sat down waiting for her explanation, Dami sitting next to her.

“I wish I could ask someone else than the person who kept trying to kill me for a year, but the bounty on my head is a huge liability, and I suppose it is the same for you.” She stared at the other woman with her piercing eyes which always gave the impression that she could read your mind. The Bounty-hunter nodded but let the former CEO continue. “I was planning to disappear and go on my own way but something unexpected happened.”

She showed the announcement of the auction that she received the night before to the two in front of her. Of course, the fixer had already seen the news since it was her job to collect information on every movements of the black market, but SuA read it more attentively.

“All purposes?”

The other two looked at her with a sombre expression coupled with anger on Siyeon’s part. Dami took the time to explain.

“People without any implants are extremely rare, especially girls of this age. Some people would give anything to have her. Most of the time it’s for science experiments or sex trafficking.”

SuA couldn’t quite hide her disgust. Selling girls to be used like objects was infuriating to her. But still, this was to be expected in the black market, and this was certainly not the first time it had happened, so why was it important for the former corporate? Siyeon could see the interrogation on the solo’s face.

“This girl is mine, I bought her, and they took her when I was busy fleeing the raid at the company’s building. Now I want her back.”

She didn’t know if it was the shaking tone of her voice or the rage in her eyes when she said that but SuA just couldn’t believe this was a simple question of getting her property back. After all, the young woman had left everything else behind without a thought, why would this girl be any different if she just considered her as one of her belongings?

Next to her, Dami didn’t seem to care about her potential client’s feelings. She was much more concerned with facts, and in their case they weren’t really in their favour.

“You’re suggesting entering the Wang’s territory just for that girl? This would need an army.”

“I can have that.”

Now this was just surreal. SuA who until now had done her best to stay emotionless couldn’t let that pass, even Dami who had an implant to suppress the expression of emotions had to at least raise an eyebrow.

“How the hell?” SuA’s voice was very loud all of a sudden. Siyeon just smiled.

“I have connections.”

“Ok” Dami shrugged it off. “Then I can suggest a hacker to help you organise, locate the target and break the security. Her name’s Yoohyeon, I’m sending you her credentials if you’re interested.”

“Fine”

SuA’s gaze went from Dami to Siyeon as they both stayed composed while the bounty-hunter just stared dumbfounded for a few seconds before processing again at the mention of the hacker.

“Not that brat again!” She said, displeased. 

“You know she’s good at her job, stop acting like a hag.”

“Hey! I’m a well-regarded bounty-hunter, I suggest you remember that.”

Dami shrugged, “Whatever, you need me to find work anyway.”

Siyeon who was looking at the hacker’s references couldn’t help but smile at the bickering happening in front of her and it didn’t go unnoticed, but SuA didn’t say anything by fear of breaking the moment. This must have been the first time she saw the former CEO smile genuinely. After a moment, the corporate raised her head to make the deal.

“The hacker seems fine, I’ll pay her service as well, when can she be ready?”

“With a bit of persuasion, today. With that decided, we only have one person left.” Dami and Siyeon turned their heads to SuA. “Are you in?”

The bounty-hunter didn’t know what to say. If Siyeon could have an army, why was she asking her help as well, it didn’t make sense.

“What would you need me for exactly? I’m not worth an entire army.”

The former CEO expected that question and the truth was she didn’t know herself. With her relations and money that she had managed to save, she could do without the solo. But something didn’t sit right with seeing the only woman who ever got close to kill her being hunted like a dog without a mean of fighting back. Also, and this was harder to admit, she liked having her around. Bounty-hunter SuA with her reckless attitude and unshakable convictions. Despite the fact that she had pointed a gun at her multiple times, she felt she could trust her the most.

“How many people do you think tried to kill me since I became CEO of Insomnia?”

“I don’t know, a dozen?”

“Sixty-three. But I don’t remember any of them, because they were eradicated before they could even reach me. The only one I remember is you. Out of all the assassins sent to kill me, you’re the only one I ever saw face to face. You may not be worth an army, but I trust your skills above anyone else’s. So, will you protect me and help me get that girl back?”

SuA was awe struck by this sudden flow of compliments coming from probably the person she hated the most. Until now she had only seen Siyeon as the embodiment of everything she hated: power-greed, money, indifference, manipulation. It was easy to keep this image in her head. But ever since she had lost everything, the woman had never tried to get it back, hell, she didn’t even want to take revenge. The bounty-hunter just assumed that the Wolf had been born into wealth and power but maybe that was not the case, maybe they were more alike than she thought. Siyeon was right about her, she had morals and a great set of skills and with those she was determined to find out what could make her worst enemy ignore her survival instincts and go after one of the biggest predators of the Jungle.

“I’m only in for the money.”

“As long as you’re in I don’t care why.” She turned to Dami. “Send me your price, I’ll pay right away for everything.” Her cyber-deck beeped, she looked at it and read the message before getting up and opening the door to step outside. “Tell the hacker I need her now, my connections have contacted me. SuA, I need you to come with me.” She stepped back and looked through the door frame. “Quickly.”

SuA looked at Dami who waved her head towards the exit to signal her to go after the CEO. She got up and followed her new employer.

This was definitely quite the mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be uploaded along with the next two chapters. After that there will be a short break and I'll upload the final chapters and the epilogue when I am done reviewing them. Have a nice reading ^^


	2. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Siyeon and Bora meet with an important figure of the Black Market, will the former corporate be able to get what she wants from them?

The two women were waiting in one of the busy streets of the Industrial District, Siyeon insisted to take her car to get where they needed to be. While the traffic light was taking its time to turn to green, the bounty-hunter was growing impatient and somewhat uncomfortable. Every time she looked in the corporate’s direction, the other looked back at her with her piercing eyes and all-knowing attitude that made her look both irritating and very attractive.

“Is there something you want to ask?” Siyeon said in a playful tone, already knowing the answer.

“There are tons of things I want to ask.” The bounty hunter replied in a reproaching manner which got a small chuckle out of her employer.

“Fine, since you so gratefully accepted to help me I will grant you three questions that I will answer honestly.”

“Who is that girl we’re trying to save?”

“She’s a girl from the poorest districts who was raised by her parents without any cyberwear or implants and then sold for the highest price without a single remorse. I met her when I was paying a visit to the Wang villa, I liked her so I bought her, and then they took her back. I can’t let that happen.”

The solo obviously wanted to know more than that, but she didn’t feel like it was a good idea to take too much advantage of the chance she was given, so instead she moved on to another topic.

“Why did the Wangs decide to end you?”

“I can’t say for sure… But they probably caught me while I was digging for sensitive intel and took that as a betrayal, which, to be fair, it was.”

“Where are we going now?”

“We are meeting with Han Dong in one of the Han’s factories. She is the one who can get us that army we need.”

SuA’s eyes widened. The Hans were another well-known mafia who were fighting for the control of the Chinese district. Until recently they were considered small fry, but everything changed when the head of the family mysteriously died leaving his younger sister, Han Dong, in charge. Since then the family had only grown until they became the Wang’s most powerful rivals. Asking for their help definitely sounded like a good idea, but the Han leader had the reputation to be ruthless and rarely made compromises despite her young age of 20 years old and relative inexperience. SuA could already picture so many scenarios in which it could go wrong, but Siyeon didn’t give her the time to think about that.

“My turn now.”

“What? You didn’t say anything about you getting to ask questions.”

“I’m a business woman darling, I don’t give without taking.” The solo opened her mouth to say something, but Siyeon cut her and asked her question without giving a damn. “Why do you hate corporates so much?”

SuA wanted to stay quiet and not give her what she wanted but the question already triggered her. Since she wanted to know, she was going to know.

“Because you guys are a bunch of cowards who set the rules from your tall glass-buildings and make decisions that can ruin so many people’s lives without giving a fuck. I know that in this City it’s ‘kill or be killed’ but you don’t even do that, you ask others to do the dirty work and have the audacity to think you’re superior for that.”

“That sounds like what gang leaders do as well.”

“Gang leaders are the product of your actions, they learnt to adapt but they also know how to take matters into their own hands instead of waiting in their offices.”

“Why did you keep your promise then? You could have easily betrayed me yesterday.”

“I gave my word.”

“Words mean nothing in this world.”

“Maybe in yours they don’t, but I always keep my promises, for better or worse.”

“A gun for hire with a moral code and a sense of justice. You are a very interesting person SuA.”

“Whatever, what’s your last question?”

“I’ll keep it for later.”

“Wait, you can do that? I would have done that too if I had known!”

Siyeon laughed lightly at SuA’s disappointed face. “All right, I’ll let you renegotiate later, since this is so unfair to you.”

The car stopped, they were near the meeting place with Han Dong. SuA stepped out first and waited for Siyeon on the sidewalk. The corporate got out of the car and asked the auto pilot to find a way to park that wasn’t too far away. She saw SuA waiting for her and, instinctively, her eyes went up and down to check the bounty hunter out. Outside of the fact that she was very good looking, Siyeon noticed that her looks really reflected her bold personality. The bounty hunter wasn’t even trying to hide who she was. She was wearing a tight black high-neck sleeveless top tucked in a pair of red cargo pants that ended within her black ranger boots. Unlike other solos, she didn’t hide what type of cyberwear and weapon she had. The tank-top made her two cyber arms visible. She didn’t even cover them with fake skin, anyone could see that she had the latest models with augmented reflexes and strength. The shining cracks on her temple and across her face right above the nose also indicated that her skull was protected by cybertech. Her only visible weapons where two heavy guns that she was wearing in two shoulder holsters covering her flanks.

“What are you looking at?”

Siyeon’s eyes went up to look into the auburn woman’s deep brown eyes.

“If I didn’t know the extent of your skills, I’d say you look like an easy prey.”

“Those were the last thoughts of many dumb people who tried to kill me. Now come on, we need to get going.”

They arrived in one of the warehouses owned by the Han family. The entry was well guarded and they were immediately asked to give their weapons, those who could be separated from the body that was, cyber-weapons and enhancements couldn’t be dealt with until they were already drawn out and placed against your throat, but still this reduced their fire power by a lot. Once they were in, they were welcomed by a tall woman with purple hair and silver shining irises. She looked at Siyeon first and bowed her head politely, then glanced at SuA and seemed to recognise her, but stayed professional.

“Miss Lee, you are expected in the supervisor’s room, please follow me.”

They were led through rows of containers which were being verified and classified. No one was paying extra attention to them, everyone was focused on their tasks. SuA was used to this kind of settings, but part of her mind always wondered what was in these huge metal boxes. Of course it was nothing that couldn’t be found with logic. Most of the time there were illegal weapons and cyberwears, drugs, biowears, organs, people… In the case of the Han family, it was weapons. Their guide knocked on a door and waited for a feminine voice to answer.

“Let them in.”

She opened the door and invited Siyeon and SuA to come in. She entered last and closed the door behind her. Inside, they were met by a very sophisticated woman. She had bright red hair and clear blue eyes which seemed to look down on everyone she met. One of her hands was supporting her chin while the other rested nonchalantly on her desk. She recognised Siyeon and her face lit up with an enigmatic smile.

“Miss Lee, I’m glad to see you made it alive, and with such good company. Nice to meet you, hunter SuA. I believe you are already acquainted with my bodyguard.”

SuA bowed her head. “It is an honour to meet the head of the Han family in person. I have indeed worked with JiU on several occasions, I see you surround yourself with the best.”

“Skilled and polite. Something you have in common with your employer.” She averted her gaze back to Siyeon. “What can I do for you?”

“I have come with a proposition.”

“On what ground? Your company has been taken over, you’re being hunted by half the hunters of the black market, your only ally isn’t in a better position. If I listened to my reason right now, the best choice would be to collect the bounty on your heads and be done with it.”

It was the first time SuA was meeting Han Dong but those 10 seconds were enough to know she was even fiercer than the rumours had made her to be. And to think that the woman sitting in front of them was only twenty, her confidence and quick-thinking were already terrifying. The solo clutched her fist, ready to let out the blade hidden in her right arm. JiU who was standing next to Han Dong reacted immediately placing her hand on the handle of her heavy pistol. Only Siyeon was staying calm, her eyes piercing straight into Han Dong’s.

“But that would be playing right into the Wangs’ game. I don’t think that’s what you want.” The other didn’t answer, letting her finish her argument. “The loss of Insomnia was a tough blow, but I never depended exclusively on it. Most of my assets are still accessible, hidden in exclusive servers that only I have access to, including what I promised.”

The Han leader brought her two hands in front of her and rested her chin on them, staring with more interest than before. “Go on.”

“Wang ZhangWei thinks I’m done, he probably believes that no one can oppose him now, but we both know that’s not true. I can give you the intel you need to bring him down.”

“And in exchange?”

“I want her.” Siyeon showed the picture of the girl being auctioned. Han Dong laughed.

“All those risks taken just to get your hands back on this poor girl, is she that much fun to play with?”

“I suggest you stop your insinuations now.”

“Or what? I still have the advantage. It would be a shame to fall to your own death now just for the sake of one luxury good.”

“She is a human being, not a product.”

Siyeon’s eyes were flashing red, something SuA had never seen them do despite the fact that she had seen her in situations of extreme danger quite often. In fact, it was probably the first time she saw the former CEO lose her cool like that, and it was a pretty scary situation to be in.  
Han Dong didn’t seem as impressed as the others in the room. She waited for Siyeon to calm down and once her eyes went back to their usual dark colour, she directed her gaze toward the former CEO’s left arm. If it were not for the shining cracks on the skin, it would be almost impossible for someone to notice it was a cyber-arm. The Chinese woman had heard many rumours about the Wolf that she knew were false, but among them there was one that was starting to look plausible, especially given the corporate’s reaction.

“So it’s true then, that a wolf stuck in a jaw-trap will gnaw at its own leg to escape.”

SuA and JiU had no idea what the Han leader was talking about, but Siyeon seemed to understand.

“Wild animals do what they need to survive.”

Han Dong closed her eyes to evaluate the situation. Despite the whole staging, she had never planned to betray Siyeon because she knew the other woman was very resourceful, and therefore was better left alive and on her side. However, she still had to act according to her rank and this implied to mark her position in the most threatening way possible.

“If you can prove me that you have the intel, I will let you have the girl.”

Siyeon handed over a chip which only contained part of the data. The gang leader analysed it and gave the chip to JiU.

“The rest of it will be given to you once we have decided on a plan of action. I want to be sure you act as quickly and efficiently as you said you would.”

“JiU, can you accompany our guest’s bodyguard outside and wait with her? We have some things to discuss in private.”

The bodyguard moved towards the door, SuA exchanged a glance with Siyeon who nodded indicating that she was fine on her own, as always. She followed JiU and waited outside.

“The Corporates Bane teaming up with the Wolf of finance, and here I thought I had seen everything.”

“Nice to see you too Minji.”

“Nice to see you alive Bora.” Her former partner gave her a wide genuine smile. “So what was that all about?”

“I have no idea. She told me she was going solo, then she went back to ask my help and I guess I got curious.”

“It _is_ strange to see the most self-centred corporate of the City risking everything for one girl she bought on a whim.” She looked at Bora with a mischievous spark in her eyes. “Kinda makes you want to dig a little deeper.”

Here it was, the smirk that led them into so many troubles when they were starting out as bounty-hunters. Any attempt to look at Siyeon’s past while working for her could be, and most probably would be, interpreted as treachery, she knew that. But damn Minji’s smile was so convincing. The hunter touched her temple.

“Yoohyeon?”

“SuA, is that you? Why are you calling me on private?”

“I have a side mission for you, the Wolf can’t know about it.”

“I don’t know girl, that sounds super risky.”

“Do I need to remind you the time when you went MIA on a mission with me because you were winning in one of your stupid games? Because that was risky too.”

“Ok fine, but this was three years ago you really need to move on.”

SuA explained what she wanted to know and went back to Minji who was looking at her with a cocky smile.

“You’re such a good girl, you always listen so well to what I say.”

“Oh shut up.” She hit the other in the arm as her cheeks went red. She hated when Minji reminded her of their shared past like that.

It was the moment Siyeon chose to exit the room, she stared at SuA and for a few seconds the solo wondered if she had heard that last exchange. The truth was, she had and she was weirdly irritated by the fact that the two could be in a relationship. The corporate broke the silence before it could become even more awkward.

“We’re done here, let’s go.”

The drive back was even more quiet and uncomfortable than the first time. SuA could sense that something was wrong with the corporate, but she wasn’t sure what caused this.

“Where are we going now?”

“To Dami’s place to get your bike.”

“And after that?”

“Han Dong planned her attack on the Wangs one day before the auction, until then you’re free to do whatever you want.”

“You hired me to protect you, I would do a pretty bad job if I did what you just said.”

Siyeon smirked. “Look who’s taking her mission seriously. I thought you would be happy to not have to care about me for two weeks.”

The car had stopped at a red light again. Instinctively, SuA looked at the windows on the left and right, just to check. That’s when she saw a man with a dragon tattoo on his neck reaching for something inside his jacket.

“Take cover!”

She forced Siyeon to bow down and crossed her arms in front of her which activated her magnetic field to stop the bullets. Luckily, they were pretty cheap standard ones so they didn’t go through the field. When the first round was over, the hunter switched places with the corporate and kicked the car door which crashed against the attacker. Yes, she had enhanced legs too. She walked toward the poor man lying on the floor, took a gun from one of her holsters and shot him before he could do anything. She turned to look back at the car where Siyeon was still sitting.  
The corporate stepped out. Her eyes met SuA’s, just in time to see another attacker behind her. She pushed the hunter to the side and placed herself in front of the bullet with her cyber-arm first. Without her enhanced eyes, she would have never been able to guess the trajectory of the bullet, but she did and it went right into the cybernetics of her left arm. SuA immediately shot back at the shooter who ran away when he realised he had missed his shot and had no way of winning against the bounty-hunter.

“Are you ok?”

The hunter looked at Siyeon who was holding her arm, all her features were tensed, her jaw was clenched and you could tell she was focusing not to show too much pain.

“It was an anti-borg bullet. My entire arm is short-circuited.”

SuA looked around, she knew where they were, luckily they had almost reached Yubin’s hideout which meant they were in her territory. The shooters had nerves to attack them here, she was a pretty well established hunter in those parts, a lot of people counted on her and therefore were ready to protect and help her.

“We need to move and fix this arm. Follow me.”

She grabbed Siyeon’s safe arm and rushed into the busy streets.


	3. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bora takes Siyeon to safety in order to fix her arm. It is the occasion for the solo to get some answers to her questions as the corporate remembers some events from her past.

SuA was pinching her forehead, trying really hard not to give in the mental and physical exhaustion that was rushing through her body now that they were safe. As soon as the shoot-out had ended, she had led Siyeon to one of the best med-techs she knew in the area. Yuqi had accepted them immediately and put them in the hidden room at the back, the one she uses for illegal surgeries and other occasions like this one. The hunter let the techie assess the damage on the corporate’s arm and decided to wait outside to get some quiet time. However, her moment of peace was quickly ended by the echoes of an argument coming from the surgery room. She let out a heavy sigh and went back inside to see what this was about.

“I am paying you to do what you’re told.”

“No matter how many times you tell me that, this arm can’t be fixed. You need a new one.”

“I don’t want a new one.”

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on here?”

SuA had rushed in when she saw Siyeon’s eyes slowly turning to a brown-orange colour, no doubt the red wasn’t far behind. Yuqi turned to the new comer looking pretty unnerved as well.

“Your friend here refuses to be reasonable.”

“She’s the one refusing to comply to my demands.”

“All right, all right. Yuqi, just let me have a chat with her and see what we can do.” The med-tech brushed passed the solo to get to the door and SuA who was sensing her irritation whispered. “Thank you for taking care of us.”

Yuqi huffed, but her smile felt genuine nonetheless. “It’s ok. Just talk some sense into her.”

The hunter averted her gaze to the corporate sitting on the surgical table. The young woman looked both upset and cute with that pout crossing her face.

“I am not a child who needs to be calmed down.”

“Then why are you throwing a tantrum?”

“I am not!” She genuinely felt offended by the accusation. “I just…want to keep that arm.”

The cyber-limb had been detached from her shoulder plate to stop the short-circuit from affecting her nerve connections. She now held it close against her chest like a treasure that she was defending. If SuA was ready to lash out at her before, now she couldn’t bring herself to be harsh. Whatever it was that made her want to keep that old cyber-arm, it was obviously something very important to her. The hunter calmed herself and sat next to Siyeon.

“Why?”

Siyeon paused before answering, scanning SuA’s features to see if she could trust her or not. She hated talking about anything from before she became a corporate. The more information she gave, the more weapons her enemies had against her. But the bounty-hunter was different. She always had been. Usually, Siyeon let her security deal with the assassins sent against her, but for SuA she always had to intervene herself. Through their endless chasing, a connection started to form, like some sort of understanding between each other. Despite the fact that they had never truly met until now, Siyeon was so used to anticipate her actions and try to think like her to stay one step ahead that she truly felt like SuA was the only person she could trust.

“The man who built it, it’s the only thing I have left of him.”

SuA was actually surprised to get an answer right away that felt genuine.

“I see. That man must have been very important to you then.”

“He was the closest thing I had to a family.”

That was right, in the year she spent hunting her, SuA never found anything on Siyeon’s family or past. The woman just appeared one day in the offices of Insomnia Corp. and climbed her way from there. Hearing about it now and seeing her so eager to keep that one thing she has left of her past, it really put her into a new light. However, there really was nothing she could do for her.

“I understand, truly I do. But I also trust Yuqi’s judgement. I’m afraid if she says she can’t repair it, then there’s nothing else to do.”

“Then let’s go somewhere else.”

“That’s not reasonable, you know that. I trust Yuqi, I don’t trust the others we may find.”

Siyeon’s eyes were starting to get back to black. She knew she was acting like a brat; she knew she was overly attached to that piece of metal which was only meant to be used as a tool. There was no logical explanation for her behaviour other than she was still in shock but refused to admit it. She thought she would be fine with losing everything she had, but this was too much. This arm was the only thing connecting her to her old life and she was afraid of what would happen if she let go of it.

SuA couldn’t understand everything that was going on inside the corporate’s mind, but there was one thing that she was certain of.

“If you want to get that girl back, you need to fix this arm as soon as possible and with the best cybernetics available.”

She was right. The only reason she got back into this mess instead of disappearing was to get the girl back, to fulfil the promise she made to herself when she met her. She was going to be ok, even if she had to start over, even if she had no ties to her past anymore, there was someone who needed her and for now it was enough.

“Go tell Yuqi we need to discuss the new arm’s functionalities.”

SuA let the two alone again, guarding the door outside. This time she wasn’t disturbed by some bickering or shouts. When Siyeon got out, she didn’t have a new arm on, instead she was told to wait until the next day for the surgery. Since every element of the old arm was either too old or too damaged, the med-tech had to rebuild a new limbware interface and connect it to the neuronal system which required a delicate surgery. Then, she could install the new cyber-arm onto Siyeon’s shoulder. Yuqi had asked the corporate to come back early in the morning and prepare for a four-hours surgery, to which the corporate agreed.

Once outside, the two were once again left to decide what to do next.

“I hope you agree now that I should stay with you until the mission is complete.”

Siyeon repressed a laugh at SuA’s pragmatic thinking after everything that had happened.

“I’m glad you took your job seriously after all.” Her mind lingered for a while on what they should do. “So do we go to my place or yours?”

SuA blushed a little. She knew the other woman meant it in a purely pragmatic way, but it didn’t make the proposition less suggestive. Another idea popped into her head instead.

“Actually there’s somewhere else we need to go before that.”

***

Siyeon was looking at SuA’s reflection in the mirror of the hairdresser with a murdering intent.

“And why do you think this is necessary again?”

If SuA didn't know better, she would be on the floor laughing at the sight of Lee Siyeon looking like an angry child being forced to cut their hair for the first time. The best she could do was half smiling half looking straight in front of her to avoid eye-contact. 

“Your blue hair catches too much attention. You at least need a new hair dye.”

The hairdresser was presenting a palette of potential colours at which Siyeon reluctantly looked at. 

“I’ll go with platinum blond.”

While the hairdresser was preparing the dye and applying it, SuA felt the need to fill the silence.

“So about the questions that you owe me…”

“Just ask whatever you want, I’ll choose the ones I want to answer.”

The bounty-hunter was surprised to see her employer being so cooperative all of a sudden. Maybe she was starting to get used to her. Or maybe she was just tired and let her guard down. Any possibility was good.

“About the girl…”

“Gahyeon.”

“What?”

“Her name’s Gahyeon.”

The hunter had not realised until now that Siyeon never said her name before. At first it seemed weird, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She was trying to hide her, make sure the people involved wouldn’t find her so easily after she managed to get her back.

“So about Gahyeon. Was Han Dong right? Do you…have fun with her?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, she’s just a teenager!”

SuA felt a weight leaving her chest. Ever since Han Dong had mentioned that, she was worried Siyeon might be one of those corporate with very specific kinks and absolutely no morals or guilt. It made the next question easier to ask.

“So why do you want to get her back so badly?” 

Siyeon got lost in her thoughts. She remembered the first time she met the girl. It was during a meeting with Wang Zhang Wei, she was staying a few days at the Wang’s villa on the outskirts of the Financial District. It was well-known that the Wang family had connections with other Asian businesses and gangs, not just the Chinese mafia, and as a major figure of the corporate world, Lee Siyeon had more than once negotiated with him. She remembered after the end of one meeting, before she left to get back to her room, the gang leader had said with a smirk.

_“You will find some accommodations set for you in your room, feel free to use them as you wish. Don’t worry, I have been informed of your preferences.”_

When she opened the door she found a girl in a more than revealing outfit waiting shyly. So that was what he meant by preferences. She closed the door behind her and studied her “gift” carefully. No implant. She was given a very special treatment. The girl was starting to feel awkward.

_“What can I do for you to –”_

_“Please don’t.”_ Her tone was sharper than what she had meant to. She went on with a softer voice. _“I’ll just take your company, nothing else.”_

She walked to the small suitcase that she had left at the corner of the room and took a pair of black formal trousers and a shirt that she gave to the girl.

_“Here, you can wear those.”_

The girl accepted the clothes and put them on as she was requested. They were a bit too large for her, but at least she was covered. However, her muscles were still trembling and Siyeon assumed it was not from the cold. Despite her fear, the girl followed the corporate on the little couch and sat next to her, waiting for another command. The CEO couldn’t hide her discomfort at the situation. Her heart ached at seeing this girl so terrified even though she did nothing to her so far.

_“What’s your name?”_

_“Gahyeon.”_

_“Age?”_

_“Sixteen.”_

Siyeon smiled sadly. Only sixteen.

_“Nice to meet you Gahyeon, my name is Lee Siyeon. I am here for very shady reasons as you can easily guess, but I want you to know that nothing will happen to you tonight, nor any other night while I’m here. Ok?”_

Gahyeon nodded, holding back tears of relief. Siyeon noticed them and instinctively took her hands and folded them between hers. She wanted her to know that she understood, perhaps more than anyone else, what she had been through.

Not much else was said that night, after she told her story to Siyeon, the girl had fallen asleep, probably due to the stress relief. The corporate woman had brought her guest to the double-sized bed and slept next to her, being careful to leave her all the space she needed. When she woke up, Gahyeon had moved close to her, the young one was tucked under her chin with a hand placed over her waist. The CEO wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and drew her into a hug. When she saw her, so small and vulnerable, desperately looking for affection and protection, Siyeon decided to get Gahyeon away from that place. And she did. She asked what was her price, paid it immediately and took her back with her. At least this girl wouldn’t have to go through what she had been through.

Siyeon went back to the present. She stared at SuA through the mirror. The solo was patiently waiting for an answer.

“I told her nothing would happen to her. I want to keep that promise.”

“For someone who lives in a world where words don’t mean anything, you’re sure as hell putting a lot of weight behind these ones.” SuA chuckled.

Siyeon smiled at the witty remark. She simply did what she wished someone had done for her before it was too late, but she wasn’t going to say that. Another moment of silence passed. SuA’s eyes lingered on the empty sleeve that hanged on Siyeon’s left side.

“How did you lose that arm? The first time I mean.”

Now this was a sensitive subject. Siyeon wanted to give as few details as possible, but she couldn’t avoid the subject without being suspicious.

“It got stuck into a high level security gate and got completely crushed.”

SuA stared at the corporate woman with pensive eyes. She wasn’t dumb. There was no way her arm just happened to stay in the way of a heavy metal door that was about to close itself. She had to have left it in the way on purpose. Han Dong’s words came back to the solo’s mind: “ _So it is true that a wolf stuck in a jaw trap would gnaw at its own leg to escape._ ”. Now it made sense. But what trap was Siyeon trying to escape back then? She could try to ask, but she doubted the other woman would answer that question.

“That’s some very bad luck you got there.”

Siyeon remembered the pain, when the doors closed on her arm. She was being escorted back into the warehouse where all the other girls were being kept, the guards had left her inside and had already crossed the door which was slowly closing. She had run towards it at the last minute and had thrown her hand right before it closed. No one had been able to stop her. She wished she could have seen their faces when they realised what had happened, but the pain had been so great that she had fainted right away.

“Sometimes luck is a matter of perspective.”

The bounty hunter didn’t add anything. She stared pensively at the other woman in the mirror. What could be worse than losing your arm in such a painful way?

“Aaaaand, it’s all good. Do you like it?”

The hairdresser was showing Siyeon the back of her head through the mirror. The cut wasn’t too different from the previous one, maybe more waves and a little shorter at the front. Platinum blond definitely looked good on her, so this wasn’t a complete waste of time. She passed a hand in her hair to get them a little slick back.

“Thank you.” Siyeon said politely. Behind her, SuA was trying to hide her gay panicking. Poorly. “So, now that it’s done, your place or mine?”

The Wolf’s gaze was once again set on the bounty hunter. She coughed to get her mind to focus on something else than Siyeon’s new look.

“Mine for tonight, then yours.”

“All right, let’s go back to Dami’s place then.”

***

SuA got on the motorbike and waited for Siyeon, to climb behind her. The corporate wasn’t used to this kind of locomotion; she didn’t like the idea of hanging onto someone for your only safety. She sat behind SuA, not sure what to do next until she felt two hands grabbing hers and putting it around the bounty-hunter’s waist. For once she was glad the smaller woman wasn’t looking at her, otherwise she would have seen her blush. This was new, why was she feeling flustered? She heard the now familiar voice resonating into the earpiece she gave her to be able to talk during the ride. “Just in case they were attacked again and needed to coordinate.” 

“Stay like that and try not to fall, I don’t want to stop to catch you.”

Bora kicked the starter and took the road back home. The night was covering the City, making it a carnival of neon flashes. Siyeon had never seen it like that, so raw, not through the glass of a car-window. All the emotion and stress of the day started to ware off and her mind got dull after watching all the spectacle of light and sound that presented before her. At some point during the ride, she rested her chin on SuA’s shoulder and slowly dozed off. Before falling asleep, and for a reason unknown to her, she felt like sharing.

“Thank you for saving my life today, SuA.”

“Bora, my real name is Kim Bora.”

“Isn’t it risky for you to share it?”

“You took a bullet for me, if I don’t trust you now I never will.”

“Well thank you, miss Kim.”

The corporate tried to fight the sleepiness for a bit but collapsed on the solo’s shoulder. Relieved to have survived another day. Bora smiled under her helmet.

“No problem, miss Lee.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope everyone likes the story so far, we already are midway through. The last chapters are almost done, but I don't think I'll be able to post them before the beginning of the ficfest. This will be the occasion to read your feedback ^^
> 
> If you have questions or comments, you can find me on twitter or on curiouscat @ sleepysomnia


	4. Time Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bora has to stay at Siyeon's appartment to keep her under protection. As the days pass, they both have to acknowledge their growing feelings for each other.

Bora never would have thought that a week could pass so fast and yet feel so long. Now that Siyeon knew her real name, she kept calling her miss Kim and every time she did, the solo felt a strange feeling growing inside. At first she thought it was just a simple crush because, aside from the many grievances she had against the corporate, she had to admit that Siyeon was hot. Furthermore, these days had been quite instructive. She used to see Siyeon as the perfect example of everything she hated about corporates, but the woman she saw for the past days had been different. She was confident and a bit manipulative, sure, but more than anything else she was broken. It became more evident when she went with her to the old clinic in the Japanese district.

It was at the end of a pretty regular day that Siyeon suddenly decided to dispose of the old cyber-arm that was still lying around in her apartment. She took the metal piece and asked Bora to follow her. The former corporate had stayed silent for most of the ride and the solo had respected that. The two ended up in front of an abandoned building of the Japanese district. She looked at the old building, not sure what to do next. Siyeon had stopped next to her and didn’t seem to know what to do either.

“What is this place?”

The corporate woke up from her trance.

“It’s where I used to live. They used to rehabilitate young delinquents and provide basic surgeries for free before the place got attacked.”

Bora looked more closely and distinguished impacts of bullets left on the walls. They used heavy rifles by the look of it, it must have been a massacre.

“Who did that?”

“The militia. The man who ran the place used stolen equipment from powerful pharmaceutical corporations, they didn’t like it.”

The solo could sense the uneasiness in Siyeon’s posture. It was obvious that she had not been here in a while and was probably reliving painful memories. She took it upon herself to lighten the mood.

“So, do I need to assume you were a delinquent Miss Lee?”

The corporate laughed, but the sadness remained in her eyes. “More of a survivor I’d say.”

She had meant this sentence to be cryptic, but Bora knew exactly what it implied. She had read the files that Yoohyeon had sent to her after she asked her to dig into Siyeon’s past. The hacker had warned her that there may be some wrong information because there was no official data about the corporate before she entered Insomnia Corp. but deep down Bora knew these were true.

Lee Siyeon had been raised without implants and sold to a Japanese gang leader when she was fifteen. She had been used for two years before she found a way to escape, sacrificing her arm in the process. Yoohyeon couldn’t find anything for the time period between the moment she was thrown away by her owners and the moment she became a corporate, but some old footage showed a teenage Siyeon still living in the Japanese district. Bora assumed that the young woman lived in this rehabilitation centre during that time.

“Let’s go inside.”

The tall woman finally took the initiative and stepped inside the old clinic. The roof had fallen in certain areas of the main hall and there was shattered glass on the floor. Dried blood was still visible on the walls, the scent of which mixed with the metallic smell of rust and dust. Seeing it so bare, it was easy to notice that the whole building was a small warehouse turned into a makeshift clinic. Something at the centre of the hall caught Bora’s attention. It looked like a gravestone on which was carved something in Japanese. Siyeon read the translation at loud.

“In memory of those who died, the Yoruken won’t fail you twice.”

“Yoruken?”

“The Yakuza clan who rules over the area. When the attack happened, the whole Japanese mafia world reacted. They gathered around the Yoruken and declared war on the corporation who orchestrated the massacre. The streets were painted with blood for weeks until an agreement was reached. This place is a place of mourning for the families of everyone who was murdered. It has been protected by the Yoruken ever since.”

Siyeon reached inside the bag pack she was wearing on one shoulder and took the cyber-arm that was inside. The finger tip of her new mechanic hand dropped, letting a thin laser beam out. The corporate engraved her message on the old cyber-arm and, when it was done, placed it at the foot of the gravestone with other artefacts and objects left by the people who came to mourn. Bora watched from a distance as Siyeon kneeled, joined her hands in a clap and prayed silently.

Siyeon remembered. She had woken up in an alley, alone. She quickly figured they had tossed her up, like a defective toy left behind by its owner. There were other girls to replace her, no one was going to spend money trying to fix her arm, especially since it would need to be replaced by a cybernetic one. The cost of the surgery was too high and she would lose the only thing that gave her additional value, so might as well just get rid of her.

The pain kicked in again. She cried alone in the alley, too afraid to look at her arm. She didn’t remember for how long she just stayed there, but at some point she heard footsteps coming nearer. Someone threw a coat on her shoulders and kneeled in front of her to see her face. The man looked old to her, he was probably in his forties. He took her injured arm carefully in his hands to see the damage, when he was done he looked at her in the eyes with an assertive gaze.

_“You’re going to be alright."_

He didn’t seem like the type to sugar-coat things which made his statement even more reassuring. When he saw that the teenager wasn’t reacting, he lifted her up and got her out of the alley.

When she was done praying, she stood up and walked away from the building. The bounty-hunter looked one last time at the foot of the gravestone to read what the corporate had written on the arm: “Amano-san, thank you for everything. Singnie.”

***

This event had only lead to even more questions from Bora. Siyeon had tried to ignore them, but the solo was very persistent. At some point the corporate figured that it was better to indulge in the bounty-hunter’s inquiries. After living in the same apartment, albeit with a professional distance, they began having almost normal conversations. Bora was always the most curious one, she wanted to know more about that Siyeon she saw back then, the one who pouts when she’s unhappy and smiles genuinely when she finds something funny, but she was rather rare to find.

The conversation would often start when Siyeon was at her desk, working on probably some important data on the smart screen. Bora would be playing some flash game or taking care of her cyber-arms. The bounty-hunter always made sure that the articulations and hidden weapons were as good as new. The corporate had tried to act as if the solo’s questions bothered her, but in truth she quite enjoyed their discussions.

“Why didn’t you stay in the Japanese district?”

“I didn’t want to be part of the yakuza.”

“So you chose to enter a corporation. Very big difference.”

“Will you believe me if I say I wanted to stay away from the violence?”

Bora’s loud laugh filled the apartment. “I can’t believe you were that dumb.”

Siyeon rolled her eyes in annoyance before changing the subject to something that didn’t make her look like a fool.

“Enough about me. You barely shared anything about you since we got stuck in this situation.” 

Bora’s eyes widened and her stare went blank for a couple of seconds. It never occurred to her that the other woman would care about her; mostly because there wasn’t anything interesting to say. She grew up in one of the suburban areas near the financial district until some corporation decided they needed the space to build something else. Her family had been evicted and forced to live in the Jungle where criminality and illegality were the norm. Her parents didn’t adapt well but she did. She hadn’t heard from them since she became a bounty-hunter, she was okay with that.

She started by doing team missions with JiU when she was eighteen. They became more than team partners during that time, but there came a point when they both wanted different things and staying together became a burden more than a relief. They were still in good terms though, saving each other’s life does that to people. All in all, SuA’s life was pretty classic for someone living in the City. Bora’s life though started to feel empty, but she never dwelt on those thoughts.

“What do you want to know?”

“Well, I already made research about you, from when you tried to _kill_ me.” She paused and looked intensely at Bora with a little smirk. “So I guess I’d like to know more about your plans. Will you keep accepting missions from the gangs after that?”

“What else can I do?”

“Join Han Dong and be with JiU perhaps.”

Bora had not expected that from the corporate. And she said it with a touch of bitterness too. For a moment her eyes seemed to turn orange, but it had been too fast to really notice it, maybe she didn’t see it correctly. In any case it made Bora scoff.

“No thanks.”

“I thought you two were close.”

“We were. I guess we still are in a way, but we’ve chosen different paths. I don’t want to answer to a single employer, I want to be able to choose who I will work with and what my missions will be.”

Was it a relieved sigh she heard from Siyeon when she said that? She averted her gaze towards the desk where the former corporate was. The woman was reading something on the screen in front of her, seemingly unbothered. Was she happy that Bora and Minji weren’t in a relationship? The solo felt unexpectedly good about the possibility of making Siyeon jealous. She told herself that it was because she had always liked to feel desired, but there was something more, something specific to Siyeon that made her want to feel wanted by the blond woman.

“What about you? What are you going to do after all this is over?”

“I’ll stay here and probably work with the Han family once they take control of the Asian market.”

“So you’ll become a subordinate?”

“I’d rather be an associate.”

“What about Gahyeon, will she stay with you?”

“Gahyeon will stay for as long as she wants and until she’s able to live by herself. She was raised with fear of cyber enhancements to prevent her from getting any before she was sold. She has a lot to catch up with.”

“I’m sure Yoohyeon will love to teach her about that stuff, that brat is a nerd.”

“I’m not sure I can hire her just for that.”

“Well maybe instead of _hiring_ her you could just ask.”

The corporate stopped for a moment, trying to get the difference between the two. Sometimes it was difficult for her to understand how Bora saw things. The bounty-hunter was never alone, she had Minji and Yubin, she met Yuqi during one of her missions, and she also had all the people who respected her and cared for her in their own way. People who lived in her street, people she had saved, people she was still helping for free because what they were doing was important. Siyeon didn’t have that. She had pawns and then she had enemies. All the people who cared for her and whom she cared for belonged to her past, if they ever existed at all. “Asking” was never something that came naturally, she commended or she bought.

“But do you think she would accept if I just asked? I’m her employer not her friend.”

Bora pressed two fingers on the cyber-tech connected to her temple. “Yoohyeon-ha, it’s Bora again. Do you think you could teach a clueless teenager about technology and stuff? No, not right now, but when this mission is over. Thanks, stay out of trouble.” She turned to Siyeon. “She said she’d loved to.”

The corporate laughed. “Always so reckless. But I suppose I have one thing less to worry about now.”

There she was, Bora thought, the woman she had started to like more than she had thought.

“I can teach her self-defence too. That way you won’t be afraid to let her go alone.”

Siyeon’s eyes unexpectedly turned to a deep blue. The solo already knew that the colours of her cyber-eyes depended on her emotions, but until now she had never seen this one.

“Why are you doing all this? I thought you were only in for the money.”

“Aaah”, Bora scratched the back of her neck. “I guess I believe that Gahyeon wants to be reunited with you just as much as you want to get her back. So now I’m helping you both, not just you.”

“So you still hate me after all.” Her eyes went from blue to deep purple. She wasn’t intimidating or angry, just sad. 

Bora pondered. Her life had not been easy, as a consequence she found it hard to relate to people who had a tragic backstory because, in this City, who didn’t have one? Whenever a target tried to make their case it just made her want to shoot them even more. But that was not the case with Siyeon. She never tried to use her past to justify anything, she simply played by the rules and lost. It was irritating at first to see her so emotionless when her employees were being murdered, or when she so casually planned to raid the Wang family with Han Dong. But then Bora saw her holding that old cyber-arm like her life depended on it and suddenly Lee Siyeon seemed so small.

“I hate the corporate you, but I don’t hate you, if that makes sense.”

“It does. For example, I don’t hate you, but bounty-hunter SuA is such a pain in the ass sometimes.”

“Hey!” Bora threw one of the tools she was using to do some adjustments on her arms in the direction of Siyeon who easily caught it. Those damn cyber-eyes. “I saved your life, so be grateful!” She looked at her now empty hand, realising her mistake. “Can you give it back? I need it.”

“I don’t know… Can I?” Siyeon teased with a smirk, visibly enjoying the situation in which Bora threw herself in.

Seeing that the solo was getting annoyed, she stood from the desk where she was sitting and placed the tool inside of Bora’s hand. Her stare stayed a little longer than it should have on the bounty hunter who did nothing to break the moment while their hands touched. The corporate’s eyes switched to an icy blue - another new colour Bora thought - it gave her an intimidating aura, it felt like the gaze of a predator was resting upon her but instead of feeling threatened the solo felt rather… wanted? When she realised what she was doing Siyeon retracted her hand and turned her face away, her eyes turning black.

At the same time, the new implant that she had installed on her left temple started to flash. The thin threads of light that were running under the skin around it suggested that the implant was connected to a full neuronal system that was installed into Siyeon’s skull and connected directly to her brain.

“The raid has been advanced.”

“What?”

“Apparently there has been some weird activity in the Wang territory. Waiting for too long could be dangerous. Also, Gahyeon’s position has been located, she’s being kept at the Wang Villa.”

“And I suppose you want to be a part of the extracting team.”

“I know Han Dong gave her word, but I prefer to handle this myself, in case we are betrayed and have to run away with her. I’ll tell Yoohyeon to be ready for this eventuality as well.”

“Very well.”

Siyeon was suddenly hit by a wave of anxiety that overwhelmed her. This was it, if the mission succeeded she could be free again. So much depended on the success of the raid, the pressure started to feel heavy on her lungs. A hand rested on her shoulder.

“It’s going to be fine, you hired Yoohyeon and me for that.”

The corporate instinctively put her hand over the other’s, grasping it tightly. A slight smile formed at the corner of her lips. Since when did Bora’s presence started to feel so reassuring?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here you go! 
> 
> I wrote this chapter as a pause to develop Suayeon's chemistry, I hope you all enjoyed it ^^  
> The last chapter and the epilogue will be posted together next week. In the meantime, don't hesitate to leave a comment to tell me what you think. 
> 
> Find me on twitter and curiouscat @ sleepysomnia


End file.
